Balto:  Story of a Wolfdog
by Balto Kodiak
Summary: *NOTICE*  This is NOT about the movie character, Balto.  I have a female OC named Balto.  Please remember this.  Balto meets and falls in love with a husky named Codie.  Can their love exist?  What about Codie's fiancee?  T for language!  Please Review!
1. Runt of the Litter

**Balto: Story of a Wolf-Dog**

_**Author's Note: This is not about the movie character, Balto, this is about my OC, Balto. If you are expecting a story about the movie character, then I suggest you read another story.**_

**Prologue**

_In Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada, a purebred husky had just given birth to a litter of four pups. Three of them looked like huskies and were the epitome of the litter. One of them, however, was a small, weak, ill-proportioned female that looked like a wolf. This one was the runt. Her father had named her Balto, because she reminded him so much of the famous dog. In case you haven't guessed, Balto's father was a grey wolf, and her mother was a brown husky. Ever since Balto's birth, her brother, Kavu, and her sisters, Madra and Giovani, never cut her a break..._

**Chapter One: Runt of the Litter**

"C'mon, runt! Fight back!" Kavu yelled, tugging on Balto's ear, causing her to howl in pain.

"Ow! Kavu, stop! You're hurting me!" Balto cried, tears of pain flowing down her face as her brother kept tugging on her ear. Balto could've sworn her ear would come off had her father, Kale, not stepped in.

"Kavu!" he yelled in a deep, booming voice. Kavu immediately let go of Balto's ear and sat at full attention, facing his father, his eyes shining with fear. "For the fifth time this week, leave your sister alone! Just because she's smaller than the rest of you doesn't give you the right to attack her like that." Kale said to Kavu as he slowly walked over to check up on Balto. This wasn't the first time she had been attacked by one of her siblings. Just yesterday, Madra was attacking her, scratching up her back. Last week, Giovani had bitten Balto's neck. It wasn't Balto's fault she was the runt. She was the least of her family's concern at the moment. She felt more attached to her father than her mother and siblings.

The pups were now 8 weeks old, and their mother and father talked about heading into town and finding homes for them while the pups were asleep. Kale was only concerned about one thing: Balto. Being the runt, and looking like a wolf, she didn't stand a chance at getting adopted.

"Kale, it's time for them to find homes. They're eight weeks old, and should have humans who love them." Kyra had told him.

"I know, Kyra, and I understand." Kale replied to his mate.

"Then what are you so worried about?" She asked. Kale had thought of a million things he could tell her: the city, the humans, unfriendly dogs, etc. However, the only thing that came out of his mouth was, "Balto."

"What about Balto?"

"She's the runt, and she looks almost as much like a wolf as I do! And I'm a full-blood wolf!" Kale had said, almost yelling. "Kyra, you and I both know that no human is ever gonna want her." Kyra was shocked by her mate's statement.

"That's not true!" Kyra yelled. She didn't care if she woke up her pups. She was as mad as a rabid wolf. "You don't know that she'll never get adopted! Lots of wolf hybrids have gotten adopted! It will be no different with Balto!" Kyra was beginning to cry out of anger, frustration, and fear.

"Kyra, listen to me..." Kale said, gently nuzzling her soft, brown fur. "I'm not saying there's something wrong with Balto, there isn't. But she's just, so small and helpless. What if she doesn't get adopted? What will happen to her then?" Kale's eyes were now full of concern and sadness. Kyra didn't know what to say. _"What if he's right? What if Balto doesn't get adopted? What will she do if something happens to us?"_

"I don't know, Kale." Kyra replied. "I really don't know. Let's just go to sleep and discuss it with the pups in the morning." Kale was exhausted from pup sitting, so he didn't bother arguing and just went straight to sleep. Little did they know that Balto had heard the entire conversation.

Balto had tears in her eyes after hearing their conversation. _"What if Daddy's right? Maybe I won't get adopted. I don't belong here."_ Balto thought to herself. She had decided to go get a drink of water. She woke up her mother on her way out of the den.

"Balto? Balto, where are you going?" Her mother asked.

"I'm just going to get a drink of water, Mommy." Balto replied. "I won't be long." She added, as she walked over to her mother, and licked her face. With this, Kyra smiled and went back to sleep. Much to Balto's relief, Kavu, Madra, and Giovani were still fast asleep and didn't hear her walk out.

Balto made her way to the small, moonlit pond. She took a quick drink and looked at her reflection. _"Well, what do you see?"_ she silently asked herself. "I see a small, weak, young..." Her voice was gradually getting louder as she went on, "...ill-proportioned, brown, wolf dog hybrid!" she replied to herself, out loud. After she said, "hybrid!" she smacked the water with her paw, blurring her reflection. She decided to take a short walk and began walking to the southwest. She knew the direction, because of where the moon was. The full moon had given her plenty of light to see where she was going. After about a quarter of a mile, she wanted to go back to the den, for dawn was approaching and she knew if she wasn't back by sunrise that her mother would have a panic attack. However, her legs weren't obeying her head and kept moving to the southwest.

"Where is she? She should be back by now!" Kyra was, as presumed by Balto, having a panic attack. Her fear was very evident in her eyes.

"When did you last see her?" Kale asked, trying to keep his tone calm.

"Last night when she went to get a drink of water!" Kyra replied, pacing the den. She immediately stopped, her eyes shining with fear, turning around to face Kale, she said, "What if something happened to Balto?" Kyra's assumption hit Kale hard. He felt like he's been bitten in the throat, kicked in the stomach, and hit on the head all at once. Kale didn't even want to think about what could happen to Balto. She was so small, and she didn't know of the dangers that lurked in these woods. "Kale?" Kyra said, bringing him back to reality.

"Kyra, we have to find Balto." Kale said. "She could be anywhere in these woods! She could've even gone into town!" Kyra almost yelled. The pups were awake by now and Balto's sisters were as worried as their mother was about her. Kavu, however, didn't seem worried at all. _"The little runt could use a few days in the real world. Who cares if something happens to Balto? I'm not her keeper. She's not my problem."_ However, deep down, he loved Balto, he just wouldn't admit it.

Kale somehow noticed that Kavu wasn't worried. "Kavu, aren't you worried about Balto, too?" Kale asked his son, suspiciously.

"Well...I...Sh-She's not my problem. Th-The little runt could use a couple of days in the real world." Kavu stammered nervously, avoiding eye contact with his father.

"Kavu, Balto is your sister! I know deep down in your heart that you love her, son. Now are you going to help us look for her or what?" Kale said in a whispering tone that scared Kavu to death.

"Y-yes papa." Kavu replied, cowering slightly.

"Well, come on then, son! We have to find Balto and bring her home. Who knows what could've happened to her by now?" Kale said, running out of the den closely followed by Kavu.


	2. Vancouver

**Balto: Story of a Wolf-Dog**

**Chapter Two: Vancouver**

**A/N: I've never been to Vancouver, so don't judge me if I get stuff wrong. All I know is that it's by the beach and Bryan Adams used to live there.**

Balto was, in fact, alright and doing well. She had been traveling for several days now and was getting a little tired. "Mommy and Daddy are probably looking for me right now." She said to herself, suddenly remembering her parents. Just then, her stomach began growling. "I better find some food." She looked around for some food and saw a little fawn standing a few feet away from her. _"Daddy told me about these. They're called fawns. Some betas in his pack told me they are easy to hunt if you catch them by surprise."_ Balto thought. Using this knowledge, she slowly went up to the fawn, trying to be as silent as possible. She was directly behind it and remembered something that her father had told her. _"Deer will instinctively run away from you, so you have to chase it to tire it out. Once you catch up to it, go for the legs. A downed deer is a dead deer."_ Balto smiled to herself, licking her lips. She got close behind the fawn, and went for it's legs. The fawn tried to fight Balto, but her hold was tight. The fawn suddenly went down and Balto bit it's throat hard. After the body stopped shaking, she happily ate the deer, satisfied with her first hunt. "I guess the runt turns out the best." She said after she had eaten her fill of the fawn.

"Balto! Balto? Damn it, where is that pup? Balto!" Her father cried out. Kavu was sniffing the ground, trying to find Balto's trail. After what seemed like hours, Kavu finally picked up a familiar scent.

"Balto! Papa, I've got her trail!" Kavu yelled, joyfully.

"Take us to 'er, son!" Kale said following Kavu as he continued to sniff the ground. On the fourth day of looking for Balto, Kavu was complaining that he wanted to go home.

"But papa! We've been at it for four days! Wherever Balto is, she's too far away! We'd be lucky to find her before I'm six months old!" Kale, too was tired, but he was reluctant to stop. Kavu's complaining was driving him crazy, so he decided to go home. Kavu was grateful, but Kale was depressed, because he thought for sure she's been killed by a bear, or been trampled by a deer, or something.

"Did you find her?" Kyra asked Kale hopefully. Kale just looked away with tears in his eyes. "Kale?" Kyra said demanding an answer.

"Balto's gone. We couldn't find her in the woods. She's not in town, either. I'm sorry, Kyra I thought that she wouldn't venture out that far." Kale said lightly sobbing.

"Did something happen to her? Do you know?" Kyra asked. "For all we know, she could've been killed by a bear or trampled by a deer. There's no telling. All I know is that we can't find her and she's not coming home." Kale said crying helplessly, shortly joined by Kyra.

"Are you going to tell your pack?" Kyra asked him. "Of course. I have to." Kale replied leaving the den.

It had been a week since she left home. She was content with this new world. The sun had set and it was night time. Balto was trudging through the mountains when brilliant green lights filled the sky. "What's going on?" She asked herself. The lights began shining brighter and brighter and Balto was extremely fascinated by them. She decided to watch them for a while and sat down. A few moments later, the lights took the shape of a wolf. "Hey, that looks like Papa!" Balto cried out smiling. Balto had decided to explore the half of her that was wolf and howled loudly at the light wolf. When she stopped howling, the wolf in the lights disappeared and had now become a big, white wolf in front of her. It stared at her for a few minutes. Balto was staring into it's yellow eyes when she heard a voice inside her head that seemed to belong to the wolf. _"Keep going! You're almost there. Be strong, Balto. Embrace the wolf inside you. You will finally find a place where you belong."_ The wolf then howled and disappeared. The northern lights still shining bright, Balto kept going.

Balto travelled for five more days before reaching a city on the coast of Canada. "What is this place?" Balto asked herself before venturing into the city. She was fascinated by everything. The sights, the sounds, the smells, everything! But what interested her most, was the amount of people. There weren't this many people in Kamloops. By sunset, she got hungry again and went to look for some food. Balto eventually found an Italian restaurant near the beach called "Gasano's". One of the employees was taking out the trash when he noticed the little pup rummaging through a fallen garbage can. He immediately felt for the half-breed and tossed her a bone. He was amused by how fast she took it and began nibbling on it. Just as Balto was finished with the bone, a thunderstorm rolled in. Balto was frightened by the sound of thunder and immediately began running towards the beach.

It had begun pouring rain when Balto came upon a shack near a house. _"I'm sure whoever lives here won't mind if I sleep there. It's better than sleeping in the rain."_ With this thought, Balto trudged into the old, beat down shack, and snuggled up underneath a small towel. She could hear the rain beating down hard on the leaky roof, but she still managed to close her eyes. "This is it." she said. "This is where I belong." With that being said, she fell asleep. Balto had a dream that her father was talking to her.

"Balto. Listen to me. You need to stay here in Vancouver. It's safe here. I just want you to know that I'm proud of you. You found your place in life. Being half wolf is a strength, Balto, not a weakness. You need to know that. Learn to live on your own and now you will. I love you, Balto."

Balto was awakened by a stream of light coming from a hole in the shack's roof. She was extremely confused when she woke up. Why was her father saying this stuff to her? Does he mean it? How come he never told her before? Just when she started to get up, a golden-furred, adult, male husky wearing a red bandanna opened the door.


	3. Lost & Found

**Balto: Story of a Wolf-Dog**

**Chapter 3: Lost & Found**

"Well, well, well. Who do we have here?" He asked with a smile. The husky appeared to be pretty old, possibly in his late thirties, or early forties. "I thought I smelled something unusual."

"Wh-Who are you?" Balto asked, cowering a little, her eyes growing big, capturing the older dog instantly.

"Well, my name is Wilson. What's yours?

"Balto."

"Balto, huh? That's a nice name. Like that dog who saved Nome, right?" Wilson smiled at the pup. _"She seems so scared. What happened to her? Where's she from? How'd she get here? Where's her family?"_ Wilson's head filled with questions. "So where are you from?" Wilson asked, curious about this pup's story.

"I'm from Kamloops. It's very far away. I was born there." Balto said, feeling at ease for the first time in a while. She liked Wilson already. She felt comfortable around him.

"Kamloops, huh? I'm from right here in Vancouver," Wilson said. "You got a place to stay, Balto?"

Balto shook her head. She hadn't thought of a permanent place to stay. She wanted to stay with Wilson, but she didn't know if he'd be cool with it.

"Well, do you want to stay with me?" Wilson asked.

"Do you mind?" Balto asked, wondering if he was just doing it to be polite.

"Not at all. I kind of like you, you know? You're a good pup. I can tell." Wilson replied, ruffling the fur on her head with his paw. Balto giggled at the gesture and nuzzled his arm. Balto's stomach growled a few seconds later.

"Do you know where I can find some food? I've been traveling for days and I haven't eaten since last night." Balto asked, rubbing her stomach.

"Sure. C'mon." Wilson said, walking out of the shack, closely followed by Balto. Wilson told Balto to stay outside because his humans won't like her inside. Wilson came back out momentarily with a meat treat in his bandanna.

"Why do you carry it in your bandanna instead of your mouth?" Balto asked, curious at his action.

"I'm a vegetarian. I know it's unusual for a dog, but it's what I am. Lucky for you, my humans still have some meat treats in the lower cabinets." Wilson replied, with his bandanna in his mouth. He put it down and watched Balto devour the treat like it was her first meal in years.

"Thank you so much, Wilson, for taking care of me." Balto said, after she finished the treat.

"It's no trouble, Balto. I have no mate and no pups of my own, but I'd raise you as if you were one." Wilson replied. He'd only known this pup for a few minutes, but he loved her like she were his own daughter.

"So, you're gonna be my papa?" Balto asked, wagging her tail.

"Sure. Why not?" Wilson replied with a smile. "In fact, why don't I show you around town? Get you a head start."

"I'd like that. It's easy to get lost around here." Balto said. She was already thinking of him as a dad she never had.

Meanwhile, at the beach, a red husky pup was watching some dogs play in the sand. "Why can't I go play with them, mom?" asked Codie. Codie was a dark red husky with a belt for a collar. His mother never let him do anything.

"Because, Codie, it is not proper for a gentleman to run around like a common hound. You are to stand tall, and be proud of yourself. Your father is almost back from a meeting with the post man's dog, and he wants to have a talk with you." Codie's mother, Evelyn said answering her son's question.

Codie was an only pup, which was extremely unusual. However, his mother had obtained a disease that killed all the pups she was pregnant with except Codie. Codie didn't mind having no brothers or sisters, but sometimes he felt lonely. He had his friends of course, but he had a busy schedule. He was from a rich family from uptown Vancouver. Codie didn't exactly like the high life, but it's all he's ever known.

"What does Papa want to talk to me about?" He asked, trying to break the awkward silence that was forming.

"It's about finding, and keeping, a mate." His mother replied, still facing the blue waters of the Pacific Ocean.

"Mama! I'm only eight weeks old! Why are you guys talking to me about this now?" Codie asked, a whiny tone in his voice.

"Nevermind that, it's time to go home." His mother said, trotting off towards the city. Codie reluctantly followed, imagining a world beyond his own. A world in which there are no restrictions, no schedules, and no high-class bullshit. He's never been to America, or even out of British Columbia! He wanted so much to see more of Canada. He heard about the massive plains in Alberta, and the beautiful cities in Ontario, and the lakes and rivers that were scattered all across Canada. He wanted so much to see it and experience it all.

When he got home to his father, he ran up to him and nuzzled his front leg. "Hey, son! How was your day?" Codie's father, Jonathan, asked him.

"It was okay. Mama said you wanted to talk to me?" He replied, sitting on his hind legs.

"Oh, right. It's about finding a mate and keeping her. Like your mother and I."

"Yeah, I know. So what about finding one? How do I do that?" Codie asked, suddenly interested in what his father had to tell him.

"Well, uh, you meet the right girl, it just hits you. You know? But, uh, typically either their parents, or their humans arrange marriages among dogs. You can only hope your mother doesn't do that." Jonathan said, with a chuckle.

"I heard that!" His mother yelled from the kitchen.

"You were meant to!" Jonathan yelled back, earning a laugh from Codie.

"You were saying, Papa?" Codie asked, giving his father his full attention.

"Hm? Oh yeah. Ahem. In order to keep a mate, you have to care for her and provide for her. Remember that breed doesn't matter when it comes to things like this. You could fall in love with a wolf-dog hybrid for all I care! As long as it's someone you love." Jonathan lectured to his son.

It was bedtime for Codie by the time his father finished lecturing him about mates. Didn't his father know he was way too young to be thinking about mates? He was at an age where he thought girls were gross. He kept proclaiming that he was never going to get a mate and that he was fine on his own. His mother told him repeatedly that having a mate to take care of you was important. Well, no matter how important it was to her, Codie kept announcing that he didn't want a mate. What he didn't know, however, was that his mother was already looking for a mate for him. She was looking for a respectable pedigree in the higher class, which was easy to find.

Codie didn't care much for stuck up pedigrees. Sometimes he wished he were a half-breed, because they got to have all the fun. Codie was only eight weeks old, and didn't care about girls. At least he had his father. His father was the only one who understood him and really cared for him. Codie just thought his mother was looking for an opportunity to hook him up with a mate and get him out of their home. Codie never cared for his mother much, but still loved her.


	4. Early Teens

**Balto: Story of a Wolf Dog**

**Chapter 4: Early Teens**

**A/N: All ages mentioned in this story are in dog years.**

Balto was now at age 14, and prospering. Despite the fact that she was the runt of her litter, she turned out to be pretty big and strong. Her dark brown fur was soft and shiny, despite her best attempts to keep it dirty. Wilson was now 48, but he was still strong and still looked the same as he did fourteen dog years ago. Balto usually spent her time out on the beach, where she swam freely in the ocean, playing around with some other mutts. One day, when she was out on the beach, she met a group of four wolf-dog hybrids just like her. They looked like a fun loving group, so she approached them in an attempt to make their acquaintance.

"Hi there! I'm Balto," she said as she trotted up to them. One of them turned and looked at her, and was immediately captured by her appearance: dark brown fur with whitish-brown fur around her eyes, on her muzzle, underbelly, paws, and on the underside of her tail. Her hazel green eyes also caught his attention, but he composed himself quickly.

"Hi. Name's Dakota. I'm half wolf, half German shepherd. That over there's my older brother, Jack," he said moving his head to his right. Dakota was a sort of dark purplish-brown color with white fur around his eyes, and on his chest and paws. His ears were a dark brown and his eyes were dark brown as well. The one he introduced as Jack stepped forward next.

"Hey. Like my brother said, I'm Jack. Half wolf, half malamute. I'm from a litter before Dakota's." Jack said. Balto had to admit that he was fairly handsome. He had dark brown fur and light brown fur around his eyes, on his muzzle, legs, inside his ears, and underneath his tail. He had red-orange eyes that had to have been inherited from his wolf parent.

"And I'm Garth and this is Duke." Said the wolf dog on Dakota's left. He was a lighter brown than the others, and appeared to be half arctic wolf, half malamute. He had pale brown fur with a whitish face, belly, legs, and inner ears, and striking blue eyes. The one introduced as Duke had light brown fur and white fur on his face, legs, neck, belly, and tail, with brown eyes.

"Nice to meet all of you. You guys hungry?" Balto asked.

"Starved. We haven't had anything to eat since lunch yesterday." Garth said.

"Well c'mon. I know this great Italian restaurant in town." Balto said, running off into the city, closely followed by her new friends.

"Gasano's? Hey, Duke and I have been here before! Remember? The guy chased us out when we were playing in a trash can," said Dakota, laughing. Balto barked a few times before the guy came out.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the little _razza mezza_! You are here for your breakfast, no?" said the guy with a thick Italian accent. Balto barked happily and jumped up a few times. Then, she signaled for her new friends to come out of hiding.

"C'mon, guys! I've been visiting here for food since I was a pup." Balto said, motioning for them to come.

"Ah, and what do we have here, eh? I see the little _canelupo_ has some new friends," said the man, laughing with a hearty high-pitched tone. "Here you go," he said as he tossed out a few meatballs. Balto and the guys attacked the meatballs and devoured them quickly.

"So where are you from, Balto? You don't look like you're from around here." Jack said, still eating his meatball.

"I was born in Kamloops and ran away when I was eight weeks old, because I was the runt." Balto replied.

"You were the runt? You're kidding right? You're a lot bigger than most teenage runts I've seen. I was the runt too, you know. I'm still pretty small, but I get by." Dakota said.

"I was also the only one in my litter that looked like a wolf. My brother and two sisters looked like they were all husky, instead of half wolf. My puphood up until I came here was a living hell of being beaten up by my siblings, protected only by my parents. I was attacked by them on a regular basis!" Balto explained, catching all of the guys' attention. _Damn it, why did I start yakking about my puphood to these guys? I never told anyone but Wilson!_

"Hey, you're an outcast! That's great, so are we!" Duke said, jolting his head up and smiling. "We've formed our own little pack of omegas. Omegas have all the fun, and well, we love to have fun."

"We've known each other since we were pups. All of us were either exiled, orphaned, or ran away." Garth explained.

"Dakota and I are orphans, Garth was exiled, Duke ran away and apparently, so did you." Jack said, gulping down the last of his meatball.

"I like you guys. You're a fun pack." Balto said, smiling warmly at them.

"Yeah, I guess we are. Just a pack of stray jokers." Duke said.

"Let me in?" Balto asked, smiling her charming smile, cocking her left eyebrow.

"I don't see why not. What do you say, guys? We lettin' Balto here in the pack?" Garth said, looking from left to right.

"Sure." Dakota said.

Balto raised her head and howled, shortly followed by the rest of their "pack", as five wolf dogs became one. Balto's life, so far, was perfect. She had a loving father, four great friends, and good memories. However, on the other side of town, a dark red husky by the name of Codie wasn't so lucky.

Codie was also fourteen years old and not doing so well. His father was getting sick, and his mother had hooked him up with at least twenty girls in the past seven years. His mother had brought home another girl named Aurora. She was a golden-furred husky with white fur on her face, legs, inner ears, and on the underside of her tail. Codie honestly didn't like her, but her human was a veterinarian and his mother forced him into it. She had told him that he was to make Aurora his mate. Codie, of course, wouldn't make her his mate for the world. This, of course, set his mother off, but his father told him he could do whatever he wanted.

Codie agreed to go out with Aurora, and see if he can learn to liker her. After a few months, he started to warm up to her. When he turned seventeen, he agreed to make her his mate. In people terms, you could say they were engaged. However, she was controlling and egotistical. She wouldn't let him go out without her, and forbade him to see his friends. He felt completely drained and empty. That is, until one fateful day on the beach.


	5. Hello Hello

**Balto: Story of a Wolf Dog**

**Chapter 5: Hello Hello**

**A/N: I don't own the song, Elton John does.**

Balto, Garth, Duke, and Dakota were now seventeen, and Jack was eighteen. The pack of wolf dogs were at the beach playing in the water at sunset. It was early December, and winter was well on its way to Vancouver, Canada. They were all having fun, splashing, swimming and whatnot. All of them were completely soaked and smelled like wet dog.

Codie was to have dinner with Aurora that evening, but managed to sneak away to the beach. It was sunset, and he always went to the beach when he felt stressed. The walk was long, but he didn't care. He needed to clear his head. The fur on his head was slicked back and he decided to rough it up a bit. He didn't like his fur slicked back, he liked it with the multiple spikes it had.

_Feet are feeling light_

_Head on out to see the sights_

_Ain't life a many splendored thing?_

Aurora had figured out he was gone, and sent for him immediately. Her manservant, Klein, set out to look for him, sniffing everywhere from the darkest alleys to the busiest streets. Codie's mother was frantic. It wasn't like him to just run off like this. She was humiliated and was very angry with her son. Codie, meanwhile, was trying to escape Klein.

_Ducking up an down_

_All these crazy sights and sounds_

_Bounce around like puppets on a string_

_Never gonna find, anything to change my mind_

_Famous last lines of a fool_

_Just when you think_

_You're a chain with just one link_

_Something comes to tip you off your stool_

Balto and her pack were still frolicking in the water, when Codie walked up and sat down on the dock. Balto noticed him sitting there and was immediately captured by him. The way the faint sunlight looked on his soft, red fur, the way his light blue eyes were so focused on the ocean and the distant Vancouver Island, the was his belt fit around his neck, everything. Balto couldn't help but stare at this amazingly handsome husky. Codie didn't notice her staring at him, and just kept looking at the ocean.

_Hello hello_

_My my my, what have we here?_

_What a surprise_

_What a surprise!_

_Hello hello_

_I'm not alone it's good to know_

_Someone's out there to say hello_

_Hello!_

"Forget him, Balto. You'd be just as likely to have angels fly outta your ass than get close to the likes of him." Jack said, when he noticed Balto staring at Codie.

Balto couldn't hear him. Her entire body had shut down. All she could hear was the sound of the waves and the wind. After a few more minutes of staring at him, a golden furred female walked up to him and yanked on his ear, pulling him along with her. Balto was extremely ticked because of this. Didn't she see he wanted to be alone? He must not like her very much, since he was pulling away the whole time. Balto immediately felt for him. _Poor guy. Doesn't she know that he wants to be alone right now? Does chivalry exist anymore? I wonder if I should go talk to him._ With that thought, Balto started walking towards the shore. After she shook herself dry, she set out to find some food.

"Was it something I said?" Jack asked. The others just shrugged and went to find some food.

Meanwhile, Codie was getting chewed out big time by his mom. She kept saying repeatedly how he had humiliated her and Aurora by running off like that.

"I just needed some air, mom! What's wrong with being on my own for a while, huh?" Codie almost yelled at his mom. "I don't give a shit what Aurora thinks I should and shouldn't do! It's up to me what I do, not that bitch!"

"Codie, watch your mouth!" Codie's mother yelled at him. A yell that could be heard within a five-block radius of their spot. Codie just scoffed and started running towards the beach. "Codie, where are you going? CODIE!"

Codie just wanted to sit down on that dock, inhale the sea air, and look at the full moon over the water and Vancouver Island in the distance. That dock was his only escape. His father was extremely sick, his fiancée was a bitch, his mother was a bitch, his friends moved to Alberta, life just sucked for him. When he got to the dock, he just sat down and sobbed. Luckily, Balto was hanging out underneath the dock and heard Codie sobbing softly. Balto went up to see what was up. She was shocked when she saw the husky from earlier with his head hanging low, and tears streaming down his face.

"Uh. Hi!" Balto said, startling the husky.

"Aaah! Oh, what do you want?" He asked a little annoyed at this dog startling him. A cloud blocked the moon, so he couldn't see her clearly.

"I just wanted to know if you were okay. You know, with you crying up here and all." Balto explained, cautiously taking a step towards him.

"Well, I'm fine. You may leave." He said, a little surprised at this girls interest in his well being. _Why aren't Aurora and my mother like that?_

"I can't. I'm involved now. We're in a conversation, and you of all people would know that it's rude to suddenly end a conversation like that." Balto replied, a smirk evolving on her face, and cocking her eyebrow.

"You know, you can't just-" Codie was cut off by slipping off the dock and almost falling into the water. "OH SHIT!" He yelled, hanging on to the dock for dear life.

Balto got an idea. She clamped her jaws down on a rope tied to a post and said, "Grab my tail!"

"Grab your WHAT?"

"Take those purebred jaws and grab my-OOOOWWWW! My tail, my tail!" Balto exclaimed as his jaws closed down on her tail. She pulled him up, yelling at him to use his front legs to help. Her backside was in an excruciating amount of pain from him pulling on her tail. After Balto got him back on the dock, he fell on his back, trembling from the experience. Balto wound up on her hind legs, trying to maintain balance. She started wobbling and went down. "Oh no, no no no no!" she said as she fell down on top of Codie.

"I'm Codie. Which reminds me, I never caught your name." Codie said, trying to break the awkward silence that was forming between the two.

"It's Balto," she replied, a grin spreading across her face. It was at that exact moment, that the full moon was exposed and it's light shone down on her, making her completely visible.

Codie's eyes widened at the wolf-dog hybrid that lay on top of him. He immediately pushed her off of him and began running towards the city. After making sure he wasn't followed, he sat down next to a tree and began to talk to himself. "A wolf-dog, of all things why does she have to be a wolf-dog?" He asked. "Why can't she be a husky, or a German shepherd, or a collie, or something?" He had to admit that she was very pretty, though. Especially with the way the moonlight hit her. He really wanted to see Balto again to thank her for helping him, but that would have to wait 'till tomorrow, because his mother wanted him to get acquainted with Aurora's family. However, he didn't care. He wanted to, no, needed to see her again. He felt an unusual attraction to her, though they had only just met. Codie didn't believe in love at first sight, but he did believe in destiny.


	6. Busted!

**Balto: Story of a Wolf Dog**

**Chapter 6: Busted!**

Codie was slowly making his way home, when it began to rain. Codie wasn't bothered by it, since it rained a lot in Vancouver, but it was cold, and he needed to get home. When he got home, he was surprised to see Aurora standing in the doorway.

"What are you doing at my home? Don't have one of your own?" Codie asked, angry with her for intruding in on his home.

"I was wondering where you went tonight." She asked, her face emotionless, but her eyes were burning with rage.

"I was at the beach. Why?" Codie asked, curious as to why she would want to know where he was, and also praying she didn't ask any further questions.

"Because you are to be my mate in a week's time and I have the right to know."

"It's my business why I was at the dock on the beach, not yours. You don't have to know my every location every second of the day." Codie just wanted to get into his dog bed and get to sleep. The rain had made him tired, and he was exhausted from his exertions on the dock, where he met Balto. Balto. The most beautiful and charming wolf-dog hybrid he ever met. Her smile had a boyish charm, which is almost impossible to find in a female. In fact, she didn't appear to be very girly at all. What was the phrase used for people like that? Tomboy, that's it!

Aurora had noticed that Codie wasn't paying attention, and smacked him across the face.

"Pay attention to me when I'm talking to you!" She yelled, completely filled with rage.

"That hurt, you know." Codie said, rubbing his cheek with his paw. "Look, I'm tired, and I don't have time for this. I need to visit someone tomorrow."

"Oh really? With who?" Aurora asked, skeptically.

"I'm going to visit the post master's dog. He wants to speak with me," he lied, hoping that Aurora would believe him, knowing how he was very close to Codie's father.

"About what?" She asked, still not convinced.

"I don't know yet. He didn't tell me."

"Fine then. Excuse me." She said, walking out onto the porch. She didn't like to get her fur wet, so she didn't want to walk home. She's just your typical high-class snob. Codie was too tired to notice that she didn't start walking home. She hadn't grown up in Vancouver like he did, so she wasn't used to rain. It didn't rain that much in Ontario, which is where she was born. As soon as Codie plopped down on his dog bed, he was out like a light.

Balto was wondering what it was that made him run off like that. _"Was it the awkwardness? Was he late for something? Was it because I'm a- NO! Don't think like that! There's nothing wrong with being a wolf dog."_ Still, Balto couldn't help but think that most pedigrees have problems with wolf dogs, but she didn't know about anyone running away from them.

"Yo, Balto! Where ya been?" Dakota yelled.

"Huh? Oh, hey man! I was just out here by the dock." Balto replied.

"Well, I just wanted to bring you some food, since we didn't see you at any restaurants, or in any trash cans or dumpsters."

"Sweet. Whatcha got?" Balto asked, her ears perking up at the mention of food.

"Uh, I think it might be some form of pizza. I don't know, I'm gonna let you identify it," Dakota answered, taking a sack off his back and putting it on the dock.

"Yep. It's pizza. Thanks man." Balto said after examining it.

"You coming back to the shed? The guys are getting curious," Dakota asked, referring to the small storage shed they all shared.

"Yeah, I'm going back. C'mon, let's go." Balto said, gesturing for him to follow her back after she had eaten the pizza.

The whole way back, Balto was thinking about Codie. She kept wondering what made him run off. Balto kept her head low for a while, when she caught a familiar scent. _Sniff. Wait a minute. Sniff sniff. That's his scent! That's Codie's scent!_ Her ears immediately perked up and she raised her head. Balto whipped her head around and began following his scent. Dakota noticed she was going in the wrong direction and clamped his jaws down on her tail, much like Codie had done no more than two hours ago.

"Owww! Again with the tail!" Balto exclaimed as she turned her head to look at Dakota.

"Shed, remember?" Dakota asked, still keeping hold of her tail.

"You could've just said something, instead of biting my tail! That really hurts, dude!" Balto said.

"I wouldn't know." Dakota replied, turning around. He was wagging his tail slightly, which gave Balto an idea.

"AROOOOOOOOOOO!" Dakota howled as Balto bit down on his tail with more force than he did. "Let go, Balto!" he said, moving around trying to loosen her grip. However, with each attempt the pain in his rear skyrocketed.

"Not until you say you're sorry," Balto teased, still holding onto his tail. As much as she loved to tease her friend like this, she knew how much it hurt and wanted to let go as soon as he apologized.

"Alright! Alright! I'm sorry! Now let go you overgrown pup, you!" He yelled as she gladly let go of his tail.

"That wasn't so hard, now was it?" Balto asked, raising her left eyebrow and flashing her charming, innocent smile. She knew none of her friends could resist that smile of hers, so she used it on them a lot.

"C'mon, let's just go to the shed. My exertions trying to get you to let go of my tail were definitely exhausting." Dakota replied. Balto just rolled her eyes and trotted off towards the shed.

Garth was sleeping in the corner on his back, Jack was snoring rather loudly upside down against the wall, and Duke's head was on a bag of grain they stole from a farm when they snuck onto a train to Alberta. Dakota immediately crashed down next to Duke and Balto fell asleep in between Garth and Jack. It had started raining, and she fell asleep to the sound of rain on the roof.

The next morning, she woke up to the door opening and a familiar voice saying her name. Balto opened her eyes and saw a red husky from last night standing in the doorway.

"Codie?"


	7. Intros, Invites, and Conversations

**Balto: Story of a Wolf Dog**

**Chapter 7: Introductions, Invitations, and Conversations**

**A/N: I got the casino idea while watching "All Dogs Go to Heaven"**

"What are you doing here? How'd you even know I was here?" Balto asked when she saw him standing in the doorway of the shed. Even though she was whispering, she woke up Garth and Duke.

"Balto? Who's this?" Garth asked, stretching.

"Oh, uh, Garth this is Codie. Codie, this is Garth, over there is Duke," Balto replied, gesturing towards Duke, "and that's Dakota," she pointed her paw towards him and Jack, "and right next to him there's his brother, Jack."

After everyone was introduced to Codie, he made his reason for coming known.

"Balto, may I speak with you?"

"Sure." Balto replied, not seeing his intentions.

"Alone." Codie said, not feeling comfortable of talking to her around her friends.

"Oh, of course. See ya later guys." Balto said, standing up and walking out of the shed with Codie.

"She likes him." Jack said, when Balto left.

"No shit, Jack." Garth said, rolling his eyes.

Jack suddenly got an idea. "Say, why doesn't she bring him to the casino in the Junkyard. I'm sure he'd get a kick outta that."

"Well, it is Balto's place, so why not?" Duke replied, looking to the others for approval.

"Yeah. He looks like he could use some cheerin' up." Dakota said.

"It's settled then! We're tellin' Balto when she gets back." Garth said, scratching his ear with his foot.

"Yeah!" They all yelled in unison, followed by an early morning howl.

"Well I've been on my own since I was eight weeks old. I had a brother named Kavu, and two sisters named Madra and Giovanni. My dad was a grey wolf, and my mom my was a Siberian husky." Balto explained, after Codie had asked her about herself. "I ran away at eight weeks, because I was tired of being the runt. So, I learned to fend for myself and become the wolf that my father was."

Codie was very interested in her story. She had a life of adventure and self-sufficiency. He had a life of luxury and a future mate who was very mean to him.

"I met the guys when I was fourteen and I met Wilson when I first came here. Wilson's like a father to me. He took me in when no one else would, and the guys are my best friends in all of Canada," she explained further.

"Why can't I have a life like yours, Balto?" Codie asked. "With no rules, no responsibilities, and no worries."

"Well, it's not all fun and games. Okay it is, but you have to scavenge for food, avoid the dogcatcher, and lots of other stuff. Trust me, you wouldn't last two days with no baths and hardly ever any dog food." Balto replied, chuckling slightly.

"I happen to hate that dry, tasteless dog food. Everybody expects me to be this perfect gentleman, which I'm not! I'm strong, I'm sturdy, I'm tough as a wolf!" Codie said.

"Wanna bet?" Balto asked, raising her right eyebrow with a smirk spreading across her muzzle.

"What do you mean?" Codie asked puzzled as to what her intentions were.

"You said you were tough as a wolf, and I want to test it. Tackle me." Balto replied.

"I beg your pardon?" Codie said, stopping in his tracks.

"Tackle me. I'm half wolf, so if you're really tough as a wolf you can tackle me no problem." Balto said, her smirk evolving into a grin. Before Balto knew what was happening, Codie had her pinned to the ground. "Hey! I wasn't ready!" Balto complained.

"Still counts, half-breed." Codie, replied along with a triumphant grin.

"Okay, you had your fun now get off." Balto said, kicking him off with her hind legs.

They continued walking through town, laughing the whole way, and opening up to each other. Codie told Balto things he never had the audacity to tell anyone, and Balto revealed specific parts of her past she never bothered telling anybody either. However, the only thing she would never tell ANYONE is how she got a scar she's had on the left side of her face since she was fifteen. The only ones who knew were Duke and Wilson.

Luckily for Balto, Codie was on her right side, so he couldn't see her scar. Codie never really noticed it, but was bound to question her about it sooner or later. Apparently, other dogs had noticed it, because they were staring. Balto didn't know if they were staring at her scar, or at them. Seeing a wolf dog and a purebred husky together was not a common sight around town. However, they couldn't care less about the stares they were receiving and just enjoyed each other's company.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold your horses there." Balto said, as they passed a barbecue restaurant. She began trotting around to the back of the restaurant, and was closely followed by Codie.

"What? What's up?" Codie asked, curious as to what they were doing there.

Balto didn't answer. She just barked three times and the chef came out. He didn't have to ask what she was there for, since she had come there since she was eight dog years old. He just tossed a T-bone steak out and she took it to where Codie was standing.

"See. This is how strays get the best of everything. T-bones come out of nowhere, and no one pays much mind to you." Codie said, digging into the steak.

"You only say that until you've done time in the pound." Balto replied.

"You've done time?"

"Yep. Around the time I was fifteen I got dumped in the pound for fighting with some dogs. Duke and Dakota helped break me out." Balto explained, still tearing away at the meat.

"Wow. Now that's friendship."

"Aw, you know the old saying: If you can't count on a friend to break you out of jail, what kind of a friend are they?"

Balto could see the junkyard in the distance and got an idea. The dog casino was underneath a pile of wood, which has an underground tunnel for an entrance dug by yours truly. Balto and the guys dug out the rest and built it with their own paws. It may seem impossible, but they have their methods.

"You know, I own a casino in the junkyard. Maybe you can come by tonight. Give ya a taste of the life of a Canadian mutt." Balto said.

"I'll see if I can. I gotta sneak away again, though. I can only hope I don't get caught. If I do, it will be the end of me." Codie replied, wincing at the thought of what Aurora would to him if she found out.

"Sweet. It's settled then. Come by around eight. Big pile of wood in the junkyard, you can't miss it." Balto said as she walked away and headed towards the beach to meet up with her pack. "It was nice talkin' to ya. See you tonight."

"Bye." Codie yelled after her. He enjoyed the time he spent with her, and couldn't help but smile every time he thought of her. Maybe his mother was wrong. Maybe wolf dogs and mutts weren't rejects that belonged in the pound. Maybe his mother would realize this if she actually got the chance to meet Balto.

Meanwhile, Balto was at the beach playing around with her pack. She couldn't wait until eight o'clock. She wondered why he was so afraid of his family. Maybe they didn't treat him right or something. She was interrupted from her thoughts by a splash and getting soaked.

"Splash contest! Okay Garth, your turn!" Duke yelled, swimming towards the shore.

"Incoming!" Garth yelled as he jumped into the salty, cold ocean. Dakota followed and before you could say "half-breed", Jack was in, too.

"C'mon, Balto, you're missin' out!"

"Come on! We're all omegas here!"

Balto didn't need to be told a third time. She ran across the dock at top speed and jumped in after her comrades. This was a common activity amongst the five friends and they enjoyed it very much. They've been using a lot of their spare time frolicking in the water lately. The water's long since gotten cold, but they have thick coats that they've inherited from their wolf parents, so they don't mind. After about thirty minutes, Jack spoke up.

"So, Balto, about your friend," Jack said.

"Yeah? What about him?" Balto replied, shaking her head trying to get water out of her ear.

"Why don't you bring him down to your junkyard casino tonight?"

"Already asked him. He said he will if he can sneak away." Balto replied while hitting her head with her paw, still trying to get the water out. "Grr! Damn water keeps gettin' in my ear!"

Codie was to have dinner at seven o'clock, then go on a date with Aurora that night, but he would rather go and see Balto again. He really, really liked Balto, and he kind of saw her as another option if things go any further south with Aurora. Codie had a feeling that Balto really liked him, too. Dogs can sense things like that, but he still prayed that his assumption was correct. He nervously looked at the clock as his mother was slicking his fur back with her tongue. It disgusted him, but he had to put up with it.

"You seem nervous." Codie's mother commented, noticing how he kept looking at the clock and fidgeting with his paws.

"Hm? Oh, no, I'm just excited about tonight," he replied. It wasn't a whole lie, he was excited about tonight, but not about the date with Aurora. He was excited about going to Balto's place in the junkyard. It would be the first time he ever went to a place where it was just wolf dogs and other mutts.

It was seven thirty, and Codie just wanted to get dinner over with. His mother and Aurora had been talking mindlessly for the past half hour and it was driving him nuts. He looked at the clock for the tenth time and decided to excuse himself. Aurora eyed him suspiciously, but let him go. She, of course, reminded him of their date that night and told him not to be late. He gave a half-hearted promise, and went on his way. He made it to the junkyard casino around seven forty-five and saw Garth, Jack, Duke, and Dakota go down into the tunnel entrance. He proceeded inside the tunnel after them and was stunned when he entered.

All around him were dogs of different heritages and breed mixtures. He was introduced to a American Eskimo/German shepherd mix named Jock. The two became friends quickly, despite the fact that Codie was a pedigree and Jock was a mutt.

Balto arrived around eight fifteen, and announced her presence with a loud howl. Everyone there immediately looked up from their games and looked to see who howled. Some of them went up to welcome Balto, while others continued playing their games. Balto smiled when she saw Codie there. She wondered what extents he had to go to come, but she just pushed those thoughts aside.

"Yo, Codie! What'd you have to do to get here?" Balto asked as she trotted up to him.

"Not much, really. I just excused myself from dinner and came here," Codie replied with a shrug.

"You ever been in an underground casino before?" Balto asked, even though she already knew the answer.

"No, but if Aurora finds me here, I'm dead. Literally."

"Well then, let's have some fun while we can." Balto said, walking over to the craps table.


	8. You Can't Keep a Good Dog Down

**Balto: Story of a Wolf Dog**

**Chapter 8: You Can't Keep a Good Dog Down**

**A/N: I don't own the song.**

"Balto? Ain't you supposed to be in the pound?" Asked a curious hybrid.

"No! No I ain't supposed to be in the pound." Balto replied.

"Hey! We got her out!" Duke said, walking up to her side.

"Things have changed 'round here, Balto. Life ain't no piece of cake," said a female collie/afghan hound mix. "Things are tough, but we carry on."

"Could you spare a couple of bones for old time's sake?"

Balto rolled the dice and got seven. She received two bones and went over to the slot machine.

"Why settle for a couple of bones when you can have the whole bank? Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!" Balto said, kicking the slot machine, getting her the jackpot. A few seconds later, a bunch of steaks and bones fell to the floor from the place where they were hanging.

"Balto! Balto you hit the jackpot! Oh ho ho ho! Atta girl, Balto! I'm proud of ya! Balto! Balto! Tell 'em!" Jack shouted.

_Oh, you can't keep a good dog down._

_(No sir!)_

_No you can't keep a good dog down._

_I've seen pain and hurt._

_(That's right!)_

_I've eaten dirt!_

_(That's true!)_

_It's hard to buy but even Jack's been jilted by a skirt!_

_(She lies!)_

_But look pal, I'm still around!_

'_Cause you can't keep a good dog down._

_You can't keep a good dog down._

_(No you can't!)_

_You can't keep a good dog down._

_I've been bought and sold._

_She's been warm and cold._

_But ten to one I'll still be runnin' rackets when I'm old!_

_Not in some cage in the city pound!_

'_Cause you can't keep a good dog._

_Can't keep a good_

_I say you can't keep a good dog down!_

_In her's the luck of the Irish!  
The pride of the German!_

_And even, ha ha! A bit of Siam!_

_Siam? You see the come of the English!_

_The charm of the Spanish!  
_

_A pedigree certainly ain't what I am!_

_So call me a mixed up pup._

_(You're a mixed up pup!)_

_But the only way this pup knows is up!_

_(Alrighty boys c'mon!)_

_C'mon, I'm talkin' up!_

_(Lift her up, that's it! Get your head in there! Up! Up! Up! C'mon!)_

_Oh you can't keep a good dog dow-wow-wow-wow-own!_

_You can't keep a good dog dow-wow-wow-wow-own!_

_She's been fat and thin._

_I've been out and in!_

_She tried a life of virtue!_

_But prefer a life of sin!_

_So tonight man, we own this town!_

_I've known hunger! I've known thirst!_

_Lived the best and seen the worst!_

_But the only way I know to finish is to finish first!_

_So watch out when you hear this sound._

_Owww! Owww! Owwwwwwww!_

'_Cause you can't keep a good dog, no ya_

_Can't keep a good, I say_

_You can't keep a good dog down!_

_You can't keep a good dog down!_

Codie was very amused by this. He truly was having fun. He tried his paws at blackjack and enjoyed it a lot. He saw Balto walking out the entrance and followed her. He was surprised to see her staring into space, wagging her tail slightly. She sniffed the air a few times and turned around to face him.

"So you ready to have the time of your life?" She asked him, with a mischievous look on her face.

"What do you mean?" Codie replied, cautiously taking a step back.

"You want to really experience the life of a stray, don't you? Well I'm gonna show ya," she replied, taking off the belt that he used for a collar. "There. Now come on."

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see." Balto said, the mischievous look never leaving her face.

After a few feet of walking, Balto broke into a fast run, laughing uncontrollably. Codie, unable to contain himself, ran after her and started laughing, too. The two soon found themselves at the beach, splashing playfully and running across the water. Maybe it was pure excitement, maybe something was wrong with the water bowls at the casino. Either way, they were having a ton of fun and were enjoying each other's company.

Balto and Codie somehow wound up at Gasano's. The two Italian guys came out and started petting Balto. Codie hung back in the shadows, awestruck at the affection they were showing her. To him, humans never showed any respect and love for mutts, and especially not wolf dog hybrids.

"Ah, and who do we have here, eh?" Asked the one wearing the big poofy hat, as he walked over to where Codie was standing.

"It appears that the little _canelupo _has got herself a boyfriend," said the one with a long mustache. Balto just rolled her eyes and smiled. "Ha ha ha! No matter. You two are here for dinner, no?"

Balto barked three times, which was her way of saying yes, and sat down at a little table they had out there.

"C'mon, they don't bite! I've known these guys since I was a pup!" Balto told Codie, motioning for him to sit next to her. Codie, still being cautious, walked over slowly and sat down.

"So, _razza mezza_ and _di razza_ you want, eh, garlic bread, spaghetti, pizza?"

Balto barked three times and licked her muzzle when he suggested pizza. She looked to Codie for approval, and he smiled and nodded his head.

"Alrighty then. Antonio!" He yelled, clapping his hands three times.

"Yeah, Umberto?" Antonio, the one with the mustache, answered.

"We need a pizza for _maschiaccio _and _di razza_!" Umberto, the one wearing the poofy hat, said while scratching Codie's ears.

"But _maschiaccio_ cannot talk!" Antonio protested.

"She can 'a talk 'a to me, eh?"

Balto seemed to understand these guys, even when they were talking in Italian. Codie didn't understand Italian, so Balto translated for him.

"_Razza mezza_ means _half-breed_, _canelupo_ means _wolf dog_, _maschiaccio_ means _tomboy_, and _di razza_ means both _pedigree_ and _purebred_," Balto explained, when she saw how confused he was when they spoke in Italian.

"You speak Italian?"

"Yeah. I knew a schnauzer/Rottweiler/bloodhound mix named Joe who was from Italy. He taught me Italian."

"Where does he live now?"

"He lives in the United States. Fresno, California to be exact." Balto replied, as she watched the two Italians argue over whether or not she can talk to them.

Finally, Umberto lit a candle, illuminating the space, and Antonio put a cheese pizza in front of them. Balto inhaled the familiar scent, and almost dug in when she remembered Codie's presence. Trying to be as ladylike as possible, she motioned her head towards the pizza, indicating that she wanted him to dig in first.

"No need for that, Balto." Codie said, lightly nudging her with his paw. Having not touched his dinner before, he dug into the pizza followed by Balto.

The two tore away at the pizza with a hungry ferocity. About 3/4 of the way through the pizza, their noses touched. They stayed that way for a few seconds, not sure of what to do next. Balto just smiled, and Codie pulled his muzzle back. He blushed slightly, and just went back to work on the pizza. Coincidentally, Balto got the other end of the same pizza slice he had, and their lips met for a few seconds. Codie blushed even more and Balto just continued smiling.

"_Vedo che la piccoli razza e purosangue mezzi sono innamorato, no?_" Umberto said, nudging Antonio.

"Ha ha! _Si. Amore._" Antonio said, laughing.

Codie had no idea whatsoever what they were saying, so he turned to Balto. Balto knew very well what they said and was blushing slightly.

"What the hell are they saying?" Codie asked.

"Umberto said, 'I see the little half breed and purebred are in love, no?' and Antonio said, 'Yes. Love.'" Balto replied, a smirk evolving on her muzzle.

"Oh. Hey, wait a minute!" Codie said, realizing exactly what Balto was getting at.

"Yeah, they do that." Balto said after she finished up the last slice of pizza. "You want to go home, yet?"

"Hell, no! I blew off the date with Aurora and she's gonna be at least three times madder than a rabid wolf in hell!" Codie said.

They started walking around the city in silence, since neither had something to talk about. They were walking through an alley, when the dogcatcher showed up.

"Oh my God. He found me. I don't know how, but he found me. Run for it, Codie!" Balto yelled, running back towards the crowds of people in the streets. Codie, however, was very confused.

"Who? Who found you?"

"Who do you think, Codie? The dogcatcher!" Balto yelled, as she rounded the corner and backed up against the wall.

"Holy shit!" Codie yelled as the dogcatcher ran after him. It wasn't until then that Codie remembered the absence of his belt. "Dammit! I left my belt in the junkyard!" He exclaimed as he tried to run away, but to no avail. The dogcatcher got him and threw him in the back of the vehicle.

"Another day, another dog," the dogcatcher said.

"Balto! Balto get me outta here!" Codie yelled, clawing at the back door.

"Codie? Codie? Dammit, Codie, where'd you go?" Balto asked, sniffing around when she heard him yelling for her to help him. "Oh shit! Oh shit! Shit! Shit!" Balto said as she began running after the car. She tried to catch up to it, but to no avail. She just stopped in the middle of the street, out of breath. A few seconds later, she saw a car coming towards her, and was too panicked to move her legs. The license plate hit her square in the head and she was flung onto the sidewalk, barely conscious. She heard Codie yelling at her a few more times before slipping from consciousness.


	9. Always There

**Balto: Story of a Wolf Dog**

**Chapter 9: Always There**

**A/N: I don't own this song, either.**

"Running around the city without my collar, how could I be so stupid?" Codie scolded himself. "Mom was right. Strays are nothing but trouble. I wish I was home."

_Always There_

_To warm you in the winter_

_Always there_

_With shelter from the rain_

_Always there_

_To catch you when you're falling_

_Always there to stand you up again_

_Family..._

_By your side_

_In seconds if you ask it_

_Arms out wide_

_To welcome you to stay_

_Near enough_

_To listen to your hearts song_

_Always there to help you on your way_

_Family_

_Family_

_Family_

_What is a family?_

_Caring and devoted hearts_

_With endless love to share_

_Love that will follow you everywhere_

_Always there_

_To welcome you in winter_

_What is a family?_

_Arms out wide_

_To welcome you to stay_

_Right by your side_

_To listen to you hearts song_

_Always there to help you on your way_

_Family_

_Always there_

_Family_

_Family_

_Family_

"Balto. Balto? Wake up!" Garth said, shaking her lightly with his paw. They had found her in the morning when they noticed she hadn't come back and went to look for her. She hadn't moved from the spot where she passed out. She stirred slightly, giving her pack a huge relief.

"Duke, water bucket!" Dakota yelled as Duke came up, carrying a bucket of freezing cold water in his mouth. Duke poured it on her, waking her instantly.

"Oh shit, that's cold! Oh shit! Shit!" Balto said, jumping around trying to keep her body heat up. As soon as she calmed down, she shook the water off of her fur, drenching Garth and Dakota. It wasn't until then that she realized that she had a splitting headache. "Oh man, my head hurts like hell!" She said, placing a paw on her aching head.

"You got hit by a car or something. Don't worry, you're good." Jack told her with a reassuring smile.

"Oh shit, Codie!" Balto exclaimed, recalling the events from the night before. She remembered when the dogcatcher caught him, and then remembered getting hit by the car.

"What? What about him?" Dakota asked, with a worried expression on his face. They may not have known Codie very long, but he was their friend, nonetheless.

"He got taken to the pound. I gotta get him out!" Balto said, running towards the city pound.

Balto arrived at the city pound in record time. She quickly found the "cell" Codie was kept in. His back was to her, so she had to speak to get his attention.

"Psst! Codie! Hey, Codie!" She whispered.

"Go away." Codie said, with an edge in his voice.

"No. Don't worry, I'm going to get you out of here!" Balto said reassuringly.

"And how are you going to do that, huh?" He asked, his back still to her.

"Lucky for you, you're in the exact same cell I was in when I did time here." Balto explained.

"So?"

"So, it's about time I told you exactly how I got out. Duke, Dakota and I dug a tunnel to the outside. Now, can you see?"

"Somewhat, yes." Codie replied, turning to face her for the first time.

"Okay. In the right corner, you'll feel a dip in the dirt."

Codie went over to where she said, and sure enough, he felt a dip in the level dirt.

"Okay, now start digging." Balto instructed him. Codie started digging ferociously until he got to the base of the tunnel.

"I'm in the tunnel!" He shouted.

"Okay, now just follow the tunnel until you see a blue light. Follow the blue light and you'll be free!" Balto yelled.

In no time at all, Codie was out the tunnel and free from the pound. Both were relieved, and Balto would have made her way out as well, but a familiar dog came up to her.

"Balto? Is that you?" Asked the dog.

"Tommy? Good to see you buddy! What're ya in for this time?" Balto inquired about her old friend.

"Nothin'. They pick up the first strays they see 'round here." Tommy said. Tommy was a Rottweiler/American Eskimo/husky mix from Manitoba, who befriended Balto during her time in the pound. He was in the pound a lot, so pretty much everybody there knew him.

"You want out, don'tcha?" She asked, even though she already knew the answer.

"More than anything. Get me outta this hellhole!" Tommy demanded, clawing at the lock. Balto sighed and got to work on it. It was surprisingly easy, and in no time at all, Tommy was free.

"There. You're out. Now let's go before the dogcatcher comes back." Balto said, running towards the exit.

After about five minutes, Balto and Tommy split up and Balto met up with Codie. Codie was glad to be out of that place, but very upset with Balto. He thought she had just left him for dead and that it had been her plan the whole time. Earn his interest, and then get him into the pound so she won't have to deal with him anymore.

"Yo, Codie! Glad to be out?" Balto asked, jogging up to him.

"Sure. Whatever." Codie responded rather harshly. He refused to look her in the eye, knowing full well that those eyes can melt him in seconds.

"Hey. What's wrong?" Balto wondered. She thought he was just upset about getting put in the pound for the first time, but maybe there was more to it.

"Don't act like you don't know. You planned all this. You wanted me to get dumped in the pound. You wanted me to suffer in there."

"You were in there for four hours." Balto reminded him, raising an eyebrow. He didn't respond. "Okay, Codie, look. If I wanted you to suffer in the pound, would I have gotten you out?" Balto asked, looking him straight in the eyes. Those hazel green eyes had such a depth, wisdom, and warmth to them that they could make even the angriest, meanest wolves melt under their gaze.

"No." Codie mumbled, looking down.

"Exactly. Now c'mon. Let's get you home."

Though it was against his better judgment, Codie let Balto take him home. They were silent the whole way, each lost in their own thoughts. When they finally got there, Codie was less than happy to be home, but felt better knowing that Balto was right next to him. They went in through the basement, so Codie's mother wouldn't hear them. When they got to the living room, Codie's mother was waiting there. Codie wasn't surprised that Aurora was there too; for she spent more time at his house "keeping an eye on him" than at her own.

"Mother? Aurora?" Codie wasn't worried about Aurora's presence, but about how she would act towards Balto.

"Darling, who's this?" Aurora asked, examining Balto. Balto's wolf-like nose enabled her to smell Aurora's disgust towards her. She wasn't surprised, of course, but still slightly bothered. Balto dropped her head, lowered her ears, and narrowed her eyes in a typical wolf-like gesture. Balto was measuring her, picking out her weak points in case Aurora picked a fight with her. Balto sensed that this dog was trouble, so she bared her teeth and let out a deep growl.

"Aurora, this is my… 'friend'… Balto. Balto, this is Aurora and my mother." Codie spoke up to keep Balto's wolf instincts from carrying her further than what was necessary.

"May I ask what breed you are, _Balto_?" Aurora spat in her typical haughty tone, saying Balto's name like it was a swear word. Balto just kept still, not responding, staring her down.

"She's half Siberian husky, half grey wolf." Codie responded for her.

"A wolf-dog hm? I don't take kindly to mutts," Aurora replied in disgust.

Something inside Balto snapped. Her eyes grew wide, her ears pricked up, her claws were revealed, and her growling intensified as she lunged for Aurora. She would've torn her to shreds, had Codie not pulled her back by the scruff of her neck. Even though he held her back, Balto was barking furiously, waking up Codie's humans.

"What's going on he-" Codie's human gasped in shock when she saw Balto growling and barking.

The human's husband came down shortly afterward and also stopped in his tracks when he saw the wolf-dog hybrid acting aggressive in the living room. He immediately ran into their garage, and returned with a rifle. Balto knew how guns worked, and immediately became terrified. She bolted through the front door and the human ran after her, firing the gun rapidly. Balto met up with Garth and Jack shortly after she began running.

"Hey! Need some help?" Garth asked, running next to her. Balto looked at him and then at Jack as they were trying to escape the human firing at them.

"Can't talk, boys! Madman with a rifle after me!" Balto yelled over the gunshots. She looked around for a way to escape, and saw a closed dumpster that was right next to a short, one-story building. Then, a light bulb lit up over her head. "I got an idea! See that dumpster? Jump up onto it, and onto the roof of the building on three! Ready?" Balto instructed, looking back and forth between Garth and Jack. They both nodded, and picked up their speed.

"One!" Balto yelled.

"Two!" Jack yelled back.

"THREE!" They all exclaimed in unison as they jumped onto the roof of the building. Codie's owner was frustrated for having let them get away, but was glad that the wolf dog was out of their hair. Codie, wanting so desperately to be with Balto, lunged forward only to be pulled back by his human. He struggled as hard as he could, but to no avail.

"Oh no you don't! That wolf dog's no good, boy." His owner scolded him. Codie lunged forward again, once more without success. "Agh! C'mon, Codie, let's go home."

Balto, Garth, and Jack, meanwhile, were running from rooftop to rooftop in an attempt to get back to their shed. It was very early in the morning, so they wanted to get some shuteye. Especially Balto, because she had exerted the most energy and needed to give her legs and head a rest. She still had a pounding headache from when she was hit by that car, and figured it would be best not to engage in a lot of physical activity until the pain went away.

When they finally got to the shed, they were glad to find that Duke and Dakota were still fast asleep. They crept in slowly, so they didn't wake them, and Garth took his spot in the corner. Jack followed, and laid down underneath a shelf, then Balto snuggled up under an old blanket they found when they "boarded" a train to Saskatchewan.

"Hmph. Well that didn't go very well." Balto muttered under her breath, as she laid her head on her paws.

"No shit, Sherlock." Jack joked. His eyes were closed, but he was still awake.

"_Chiuda su, deficiente._" Balto responded in Italian; her favorite language. After what seemed like forever, she finally fell asleep.

**Translations: **_**Chiuda su, deficiente**_**: **_**Shut up, moron**_**.**

**A/N: Sorry for the wait. I started a Titanic fic not long ago called "Same Ship, New Story" so I wasn't working on this as much as I would've liked. Please Review!**


	10. Not in a Million Dog Years

**Balto: Story of a Wolf Dog**

**Chapter 10: Not In A Million Dog Years**

**A/N: Terribly sorry for the long wait. I've been busy with some other projects and stories, not to mention school starting, and a week-long power outage.**

"What is the meaning of this? Calling that mongrel your friend? No son of mine will be friends with a wolf dog! Not in a million dog years!" Codie's mother was furious. Aurora was as well, but she was twitching, indicating it was taking every ounce of her concentration and strength not to lash out.

"So what? We're all dogs, aren't we? On top of that, Balto happens to be the best friend I've ever had!" Codie yelled.

"Your father is running out of time, and you and Aurora will be mates within the week."

"Doesn't anybody here care what I think? I mean, all my life, decisions were made for me! And all that time, I was never given the chance to share my opinions!"

"But why would you want to worry about things when you can have a mate to provide for you?" Codie's mother asked.

"Because I'm old enough to worry about things and make my own decisions. You know I never liked Aurora, or any of the other girls you've thrown at me these past seventeen dog years," Codie countered, yelling rather loudly. His mother was fully enraged now.

"Sit!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. Scared to disobey, Codie sat.

"Now I want you to listen and listen good. You are not to see that mutt again, and you are not to leave this neighborhood unless either I, or Aurora, are with you. Do you understand me?" His mother's voice was low; almost a whisper, but it still terrified him. He just lowered his head and nodded. His mind understood, but his heart rejected the idea completely. Codie was actually starting to feel something a little more than friendship towards Balto.

"Good. Now go to bed." Codie would've protested, but he didn't dare object. He trudged over to his dog bed with his head low, and his tail hanging down, and fell asleep. He wondered how Balto would react, with her wolf genes and all that. He knew she wouldn't snap at him, but he knew she wouldn't be happy about it, either. He'd just have to wait and see.

….

The next morning, Codie's humans took him and his mother out for a walk around town. His mother was talking away with a friend they met up with, and Codie just kept walking behind them, occasionally stopping to sniff a tree, still upset about not being able to see Balto again. He knew he couldn't have Balto for a friend anymore, because of his mother's stupid rules and Aurora's controlling attitude, so he decided he'd just have to let her go. Aurora went into heat that day, and he had two options. Either mate with her and regain his father's health, or get left out on the streets and leave his father to die. He felt his blood run cold at the thought of mating with Aurora_. If only I had someone else._

Meanwhile, Balto, Duke, and Garth were at the dock. Duke and Garth were relaxing in the sand, while Balto was pacing the dock back and forth. A small creak followed each step she took, driving the two boys crazy.

"Balto, if you keep doing that you're gonna drill a hole in the dock," Duke joked. Balto, however, wasn't laughing. She knew she was head over paws for Codie, and she knew that he liked her some, but his mother and Aurora were a major obstacle.

"Look, Balto, if you love the dog why don't you just tell him? Now there's an idea!" Garth suggested jokingly.

"The girl's not being logical, I tell ya," Duke said, shaking his head.

"But love ain't logical, now is it, Duke?" Garth countered. Balto needed an idea to get to Codie. But what to do?

Balto stopped pacing and turned to look at Garth and Duke. They had grown rather muscular over the years, Garth especially, and that's when a light bulb went on over Balto's head. Garth would attempt to distract Codie's mother, keeping her occupied, while Balto took Codie away to talk to him. It was almost foolproof!

"I need your guys' help with something!" Balto said suddenly. They could see the gears in her head turning, and knew that she had a plan and it involved one of them. "Garth?"

"Yeah?"

"You think you can create a diversion for me?" Typical. Garth almost always handled distractions.

"Depends. Whatcha need?"

"You remember Codie's mother, right?" Balto asked.

"The asshole pedigree that hates us with every fiber of her being? Yeah, I think so. Why?" Garth replied.

"I need you to try to distract her for me, so that I can get Codie away to talk to him." Garth was a bit surprised, but it wasn't anything he wasn't used to. He had distracted several of the most alert dogs before, but none were as aggressive or powerful as Codie's mother. What made it even more dangerous was that she knew Garth was a good friend of Balto's.

"C'mon buddy! Do it for your ol' pal, Balto," Balto begged. She put on her best "get whatever you want no questions asked" face, and Garth immediately broke down and agreed.

"Alright! Alright! I'll do it. But if something goes wrong, I'm holding you personally responsible," Garth warned.

"Fair enough. Now let's go. Duke, go get Jack and tell him to meet Garth and I at Connaught Park." Balto instructed before running off towards the park.

"Okay!" Duke yelled after them. "Wait, what?"

….

Balto and Garth, now joined by Jack, sniffed out a pet store in town and stole a collar that looked to be "upper class." They helped Balto put it on and went to the beach to take a quick bath in the ocean. Balto didn't like any of it, but it was necessary to make her look more like a pedigree and to blend in with the uptown society. Once she was clean, she fought the urge to roll around in some mud, and went to town to find Codie. It was freezing cold out, but Balto couldn't care less. She was a wolf on a mission.

Garth and Jack were sniffing every which way and Balto was looking around. It took them a while, but they finally found them at Jericho Park socializing with some other dogs, obviously pedigrees. Garth was still nervous about this whole thing, but he was doing it for Balto. Balto nodded her head and hid in some bushes. Garth walked over to Codie's humans, and picked his pocket, taking the man's wallet in his mouth.

"Hey!" Garth was running as fast as he could, dodging other dogs and trees. Codie's mother was after him too.

"How dare you, mutt! Why on Earth would a dog need money?" She yelled.

"You'd be surprised," Garth answered, taking off again.

Garth seemed to have them distracted, so Balto crept slowly behind Codie and unhooked the leash from his belt-collar. He was startled at first, but relaxed when he found out it was Balto. She dragged him over to Jericho beach and led him underneath the wooden walkway. As soon as they were out of sight, Balto shook off her collar and rolled around in some dirt.

"Balto, no. I can't see you," Codie started walking away, only to have his path blocked by Balto.

"Wait! I need to talk to you!"

"No Balto. No." Codie rejected. As much as he loved spending time with Balto, he'd rather live to be eighteen. "Balto, Aurora went into heat today, and I'm expected to—"

"DON'T SAY IT!" Balto yelled, squeezing her eyes shut, grimacing at the very thought of him mating with Aurora. "Codie. You're no decoration. You're a spoiled little pedigree, even. But, under that, you are the most amazing, astounding, wonderful dog that I've ever had the honor of knowing."

"Balto, I—" Codie began, only to be interrupted again.

"No! Just let me get this out. You-You're ama—" Balto stopped to take a deep breath before continuing. "I'm not an idiot. Alright? I know how canine hierarchy works. My own mother was a pedigree, dammit! I don't have a family, or a home to offer you, and I know that. I understand, but I'm too involved now."

Codie was perplexed, but also understood. It was the next thing Balto said that really made him feel guilty.

"I could've decided to not save you from falling off the dock two days ago. You know my tail is still sore? I chose to help you because I cared. I may be half wolf, but my dog side is still there."

"It's not up to you to decide what I should do." He said firmly.

"You're right. Only you can." Balto's eyes were now locked on his. Balto knew what he said was a lie, but she didn't say so. Then she heard loud barking and yipping nearby. _Oh, Garth. What are we gonna do with you?_

"Help me!" Garth yelled, his voice muffled by the wallet in his mouth.

"God dammit, Garth!" Balto cursed as she turned around to face Codie.

"Just think about it," she suggested before running off towards Garth.

Codie didn't know what to think. He was just a red husky lost in the world, held by the chains that came with being a housedog. Balto and those other wolf dogs were free to roam. He even heard they've been to Saskatchewan. He didn't know shit about Saskatchewan except that it was near Ontario. Mutts really did get all the fun.

Garth had dropped the wallet, growing tired of being chased, and he and Balto ran back to Jericho Park to catch their breath. Codie's mother was still barking at them, but had stopped chasing them. It was a waste of her time. Her human came back and found Codie underneath the walkway and put him back on his leash, whilst grabbing hold of Evelyn's leash.

After Garth and Balto got to Jericho Park, Garth had several bite marks on his hind legs. True to his word, he held Balto personally responsible.

"Shit! Godammit, Balto! No thanks to you, my hind legs are all scuffed up!" Garth complained, slowly lying down on the grass, as not to damage his hind legs further.

"I'm sorry, pal. I'll make it up to you, alright?" Balto could care less about Garth's hind legs right now. She couldn't very well focus on anything except for one particular purebred husky.

"How!" Garth barked.

"Godammit, Garth just go back home, alright? Go with the guys to get some lunch or something." With that said, Balto ran off.


End file.
